An Inspector calls (From Tewkesbury Admag)

An Inspector calls

7:32am Tuesday 22nd July 2008 in News By Peggy Clatworthy

A TEWKESBURY hotel will feature on a top TV programme on Thursday.

Jessop Town House, formerly the Jessop Hotel, is the subject of The Hotel Inspector, which goes out at 9pm on Channel Five.

The owners, Ralf Parisi and Sarah Pountain contacted the show just after Christmas, but were not selected - partly because the programme tends to feature failing businesses, and they do not fall into this category.

However early in March another hotel withdrew and they were asked if they were still interested.

Less than a week later the team, led by top hotelier, and granddaughter of Lord Forte, Alex Polzzi arrived.

They told Ralf and Sarah that all the bedrooms in the Georgian house needed re-decorating, and agreed that if they decorated one bedroom, they would do the lounge.

"We had already done two of the eight bedrooms, but agreed to re-do one of them," he said.

Meanwhile the TV team set to work on the lounge, and repapered and painted it, putting in a new carpet and furniture and leaving the room with a cool, comfortable, elegant but relaxed feel.

Ralf feels it is a great improvement on what was there before.

The team also approved of his improvements to the bedroom, but Alex told him that I the hotel is to flourish the other bedrooms need to be done - but they have decided to leave them for the time being.

"She runs really top notch hotels, which this is not.

"If we had the money to spare we would do them, but the focus group that came with the programme said they would be happy to stay in them," he said.

He admitted that the whole thing was a PR exercise for the business they took over three years ago, and is eager to see what effect the TV exposure will have.